Child Care Workforce in Minnesota

Transcription

1 DHS-5115A-ENG 8-12 Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 2011 Statewide Study of Demographics, Training and Professional Development Final Report August 2012

2 Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 2011 Statewide Study of Demographics, Training and Professional Development August 2012 Prepared by: Jennifer Valorose and Richard Chase Wilder Research 451 Lexington Parkway North Saint Paul, Minnesota Funded by: The Minnesota Department of Human Services This information is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by calling TTY users can call through Minnesota Relay at For Speech-to-Speech, call For additional assistance with legal rights and protections for equal access to human services programs, contact your agency s ADA coordinator. ADA4 (3-12)

3 Contents Summary... 1 Study purposes and methods... 1 Size and stability of the child care workforce... 1 Demographics of the child care workforce... 2 Child care experience... 3 Professional development... 3 Key findings comparing the 7-county metropolitan area and greater Minnesota... 7 Key changes since Recommendations Introduction Study purposes Study methods Size of child care workforce in Minnesota Number of licensed family child care providers and center-based programs Number of partners and paid assistants among licensed family child care providers.. 19 Center-based staff hours worked Estimated size of child care workforce in Minnesota Staffing stability and turnover in past year Characteristics of licensed family child care providers and center-based programs Type of incorporation or license Accreditation Caring for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program The Child and Adult Care Food Program Curricula, learning approach and assessments Income, wages and benefits Profile of licensed family child care providers and center-based staff Gender, age and race/ethnicity Disabilities Household size and economic status Internet access Child care experience Professional development Education Professional peer support Awareness, use of and satisfaction with professional development resources Training motivations Sources of and experience with training Types of support, training or education desired Professional development problems and barriers Recommendations Appendix Calculating size of child care workforce Child Care Workforce in Minnesota Wilder Research, August 2012

4 Figures 1. Study samples Staff surveys received Number of licensed family child care providers and center-based programs Number of partners and paid assistants among licensed family child care providers Length of work week among center-based program staff Estimated size of center-based child care workforce Center-based programs by staff sizes Number of center-based staff employed, hired and leaving in last 12 months Proportion of center-based programs experiencing staff turnover in past year Turnover rates in past year Type of family child care license Type of center-based incorporation Hours, days and weeks of service among licensed family child care providers Hours, days and weeks of service in center-based programs Capacity and enrollment of licensed family child care providers Number of children cared for by licensed family child care providers Total child care capacity in center-based programs Comparison of capacity in 7-county metro area and greater Minnesota Curricula used by licensed family child care providers Curricula used by center-based programs Household income from licensed family child care business Hourly wages for center-based program staff (means) Other benefits for center-based program staff Other benefits for center-based program staff (continued) Age and race/ethnicity of licensed family child care providers Age and race/ethnicity of center-based program staff Age and race/ethnicity of center-based program staff (continued) Age and race/ethnicity of center-based program staff (continued) Household size and economic status of licensed family child care providers Household income of center-based staff Household income of center-based staff (continued) Internet access of licensed family child care providers Internet access of center-based staff Child care experience of licensed family child care providers Child care experience of center-based staff Child care experience of center-based staff (continued) Child care workforce credentials of early childhood educators Degrees and certificates completed by licensed family child care providers Degrees and certificates completed by licensed family child care providers (continued) Degrees and certificates completed by center-based staff Degrees and certificates completed by center-based staff (continued) Degrees and certificates completed by center-based staff (continued) Child Care Workforce in Minnesota Wilder Research, August 2012

5 35. Recent early childhood or child development training completed by licensed family child care providers Recent early childhood or child development training completed by center-based staff Recent early childhood or child development training completed by center-based staff (continued) Online training, interest and experience of licensed family child care providers and center-based staff Professional mentoring, coaching and peer support among licensed family child care providers Professional mentoring, coaching and peer support among center-based staff Professional mentoring, coaching and peer support among center-based staff (continued) Professional support of licensed family child care providers Professional support of child care center-based staff Professional support of child care center-based staff (continued) Awareness, use of and satisfaction with professional development resources among licensed family child care providers (N= ) Awareness, use of and satisfaction with professional development resources among center-based staff Awareness, use of and satisfaction with professional development resources among center-based staff (continued) Professional development and training motivations among licensed family child care providers Professional development and training motivations of center-based staff Professional development and training motivations of center-based staff (continued) Professional development and training motivations of center-based staff (continued) Training received through a CCR&R agency by licensed family child care providers Training center-based program staff received through a CCR&R agency Training provided by CCR&R to center-based programs, cited by directors Sources of training for center-based program staff, cited by directors Types of support, training or education desired by licensed family child care providers Types of support, training or education desired by center-based program staff Types of support, training or education desired by center-based program staff (continued) Types of support, training or education desired by center-based program staff (continued) Professional development problems and training barriers among licensed family child care providers Professional development problems and training barriers among licensed family child care providers (continued) Professional development problems among center-based program staff Child Care Workforce in Minnesota Wilder Research, August 2012

6 53. Professional development problems among center-based program staff (continued) Professional development problems among center-based program staff (continued) Professional development training barriers among center-based program staff Professional development training barriers among center-based program staff (continued) Professional development training barriers among center-based program staff (continued) Barriers to getting more training and education, cited by directors Child Care Workforce in Minnesota Wilder Research, August 2012

7 Acknowledgments The Minnesota Department of Human Services and Wilder Research thank the many licensed family child care providers and center-based directors, teachers, assistant teachers and aides who responded to this survey and participated in focus groups. Thank you also to the study advisory committee for its assistance in refining the study questionnaires and in reviewing the preliminary report. Advisory committee members are: Sharon Bergen Kristen Boelcke-Stennes Margaret Boyer Sameerah Bilal Katy Chase Catharine Cuddeback Jerry Cutts Lora Kussman Ann McCully Tabitha Isner Lynn Haglin Nancy Jost Mary Nienow Judy Ohm Elizabeth Roe Susan Rydell Kathryn Tout Sandra Williams We also thank the following Wilder Research staff who assisted in the study. Mark Anton Jennifer Bohlke Walker Bosch Jackie Campeau Rena Cleveland Marilyn Conrad Phil Cooper Paul Dalton Diane Elwood Janell Felker Lida Gilbertson Heather Johnson Choua Her Siham Hussein Patsy Lee Margaree Levy Teresa Libro Lenard Major Ryan McArdle Ron Mortensen Chuengeo Moua Rebecca Schultz Abby Struck Dan Swanson Lue Thao Mary Ann Thoma We thank these organizations for hosting focus groups: Northland Foundation (Duluth, MN), Child Care Choices (St. Cloud, MN), Child Care Resource & Referral (Rochester, MN), and Pond Early Childhood Learning Center (Bloomington, MN). Child Care Workforce in Minnesota Wilder Research, August 2012

8 Summary Study purposes and methods The Minnesota Department of Human Services commissioned this study of the child care workforce in Minnesota to inform the on-going implementation of the child care professional development system, and to ensure that professional development opportunities are inclusive of and accessible to all providers. The study provides updated information about the size, stability and demographics of those serving children in licensed family child care homes, child care centers, preschools and school-age programs. It also assesses child care providers needs, barriers and motivations for participating in training and professional development opportunities. The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Network provided a data file of all the current licensed family child care providers and center-based programs. Researchers stratified the licensed family child care providers and programs by 7-county metropolitan area and greater Minnesota and then randomized the lists. Some program and demographic characteristics available from these data were analyzed. The study included telephone surveys with 352 randomly selected licensed family child care providers; a two-part paper-and-pencil survey with 315 center-based programs and 1,166 directors and teaching staff; and six focus groups with 56 licensed family child care providers (without post-secondary education) in April Details on sample sizes, response rates and strengths and limitations of the study samples are in the full report; however results for centers and school-age programs should be interpreted with caution because of the lower response rate (less than 40 percent). Center-based programs includes licensed child care centers that serve infants through school-age children, school-age programs that care for children kindergarten through sixth grade during non-school hours, and preschool programs for children ages 3 5. Head Start programs are not included. Size and stability of the child care workforce Estimated size of child care workforce in Minnesota Minnesota has about 10,800 licensed family child care providers and 2,100 center-based programs. Most licensed family child care providers (61 percent) are located in greater Minnesota; while most child care centers (67 percent) and school-age care programs (63 percent) are located in the 7-county metropolitan area. Preschools are about evenly split. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 1 Wilder Research, August 2012

9 The estimated size of Minnesota s child care workforce is 43,000. This includes about 14,000 providers and paid assistants in licensed home-based child care settings, and 29,000 staff in center-based programs. Center-based staff is estimated at 2,300 directors, 12,200 teachers, 6,900 assistant teachers and 7,500 aides. The teachers in child care centers are mostly (69 percent) full-time staff (35 or more hours per week), whereas most preschool teachers (67 percent) are part-time (less than 35 hours per week). in school-age programs are about evenly split. Staffing stability and turnover rates According to data collected and analyzed by the Licensing Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the rate of licensed family child care business turnover in Minnesota was 11 percent in 2011, down from the last 12 years (15 percent in 1999, 16.4 percent in 2005, and 12.5 percent in 2006). Data collected by Wilder Research for this study indicate that for the 12 months prior to this study, 71 percent of child care centers and 70 percent of school-age programs had at least some staff turnover. Fewer preschools experienced turnover (47 percent). Turnover rates were calculated using the following equation: number of total staff who left in the previous 12 months or were hired in the last 12 months (whichever was lowest) divided by the number of staff employed at time of survey. Aides have the highest mean turnover rates in each type of site, ranging from 18 percent in preschools to 21 percent in school-age programs and 22 percent in centers. The mean turnover rates for all teachers (regardless of age group taught) are 17 percent in child care centers, 11 percent in schoolage care sites and 8 percent in preschools. Demographics of the child care workforce Licensed family child care providers are nearly all female, with an average age of 44. Ninety-four percent are white. Thirteen percent report employment in addition to child care, which averages 16 hours per week at their other job. The average age of teachers in child care centers is 38; it is 43 for teachers at preschools, and 38 for teachers in school-age programs. Most center-based teachers are white, including 88 percent of those in centers, 95 percent in preschools, and 93 percent in school-age programs. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 2 Wilder Research, August 2012

10 In center-based programs, assistant teachers and aides are more diverse than teachers and directors with respect to race and ethnicity, and have shown a slight increase in diversity since Child care experience Over half (58 percent) of all licensed family child care providers in the state report having worked in licensed family child care programs for over 10 years, with a quarter (27 percent) reporting over 20 years of experience. Half of all center-based staff (51 percent) report having worked in licensed child care programs or legally unlicensed school-age programs for more than 10 years. This includes 52 percent of center teachers, 62 percent of preschool teachers, and 57 percent of teachers in school-age programs. Professional development Degrees and certificates completed A quarter (23 percent) of Minnesota s early childhood educators (licensed family child care providers, and center and preschool staff) are estimated to have a bachelor s degree or higher in a child-related field. Among all licensed family child care providers in the state, about 22 percent report having a bachelor s degree or higher, including 10 percent with child-related degrees. Among center-based teachers, 53 percent in child care centers report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 38 percent with child-related degrees; 83 percent in preschools report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 62 percent with childrelated degrees; and 63 percent in school-age care programs report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 54 percent with child-related degrees. Fourteen percent of center teachers report having a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, followed by 7 percent of preschool teachers and 3 percent of school-age program teachers. Among center-based directors, 71 percent in child care centers report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 52 percent with child-related degrees; 76 percent in preschools report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 55 percent with child-related degrees; and about 77 percent in school-age care programs report having bachelor s degrees or higher, including 49 percent with child-related degrees. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 3 Wilder Research, August 2012

11 Focus group participants (licensed family child care providers without post-secondary education) cited time and money as reasons providers do not get a degree in early childhood. They feel parents are not willing to pay more for a provider with a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential or degree. Continuing education in early childhood Sixteen percent of all licensed family child care providers in the state report completing college credits in child development or early childhood in the last 5 years. As reported by center-based teachers, the percentage completing college credits in child development or early childhood in the last 5 years is as follows: 43 percent in child care centers, with a median of 21 hours; 40 percent in preschools, with a median of 20 hours; and 30 percent in school-age programs, with a median of 16 hours. Online trainings In the last two years, 28 percent of licensed family child care providers have taken online training. Another 42 percent would be interested in online training opportunities. A quarter of center teachers report having taken online training in the last two years, and another 44 percent report being interested in online training. A third of preschool teachers report having taken online training, and another 38 percent are interested. A fifth of school-age program teachers report having taken online training, and another 56 percent are interested. Focus group participants (licensed family child care providers without post-secondary education) noted that online trainings can be more convenient than in-person training. However, these providers report missing out on socializing and networking when they participate in online training, and some report lacking the computer skills to participate. Relationship-based professional development Fifteen percent of licensed family child care providers, 19 percent of teachers in centers, 47 percent of preschool teachers and 17 percent of teachers in school-age programs report using a mentor, coach or consultant in the past year. Twenty-three percent of center directors report using a mentor, coach or consultant in the past year, the highest percentage of any type of center-based staff. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 4 Wilder Research, August 2012

12 Membership in professional organizations About half (45 percent) of licensed family child care providers report belonging to a county licensed family child care association. In addition, 38 percent report belonging to the Adults and Childrens Alliance, a third to a local provider support group or network (33 percent) and a fifth to the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association (21 percent). Most (85 percent) report their local association, whether a county association or a neighborhood group of providers, is very or somewhat helpful in providing professional development and support. Two out of five (43 percent) child care center directors and half of preschool directors (48 percent) report belonging to either the Minnesota or National Association for the Education of Young Children (MnAEYC and NAEYC). Directors of center-based programs are more likely to belong to professional groups than teachers, who are more likely to than assistant teachers and aides. Training motivations When asked about what motivates them to get involved in professional development or training, about a third of licensed family child care providers report they are motivated by a desire to improve their quality of care in order to generally help children, and about a fifth are motivated by licensure or regulatory requirements. Professional growth and performance improvement are the most common motivations center-based staff have for getting involved in professional development opportunities, followed by attraction to an interesting, new or different topic, and staying updated or learning best practices. Focus group participants (licensed family child care providers without post-secondary education) said they participated in trainings because they need to meet their annual required training hours. Aside from fulfilling requirements, participants noted that networking with other providers, learning about new and interesting topics and getting help addressing specific issues are also motivations for attending trainings. Sources of and experience with trainings Among licensed family child care providers, 79 percent report they received at least some of their training in the past two years through a CCR&R agency. Of those who have received training through a CCR&R agency, 98 percent felt the trainings were useful. About 44 percent of all center-based staff report receiving at least some child care training through a CCR&R agency in the last two years, including 60 percent of center teachers, Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 5 Wilder Research, August 2012

13 38 percent of preschool teachers and 30 percent of school-age program teachers. Among center-based staff who received training through a CCR&R in the previous two years, 94 percent reported it was useful. Fifty-five percent of child care centers, 19 percent of preschools and 45 percent of school-age programs contract with a CCR&R agency to deliver in-house training. A third (34 percent) of child care centers, 30 percent of preschools and 41 percent of school-age programs report that they do all or most of their training in house. In general, centerbased programs in greater Minnesota provide more training in-house than those in the 7- county metro, particularly preschools and school-age programs. Program directors were asked about ways that their programs support and encourage staff to develop professionally. Centers most commonly make development plans or discuss development with staff (32 percent) and pay for training (20 percent). Preschools most commonly make development plans or discuss development with staff (36 percent), require training (21 percent), and pay for training (20 percent). School-age programs most commonly provide in-house training (50 percent) and provide time off for training or attending school (24 percent). Types of support, training or education desired The top three training needs and desires among both licensed family child care providers and center-based staff were: 1) working with children with specific needs, including both gifted and talented children and children with special needs, 2) training on behavior management and proper discipline and 3) knowing what behaviors/abilities constitute normal child development. Over half of the child care workforce (61 percent of licensed family child care providers and 57 percent of center-based staff) would be interested in an in-depth training series involving two or three sessions. However, a fifth (21 percent) of licensed family child care providers and a third of center-based staff (37 percent) would only be interested if Continuing Education Units (CEUs) were offered. Focus group participants (licensed family child care providers without post-secondary education) liked the idea of a training series because it allows more in-depth exploration of a topic. However, they also noted that attending multiple sessions is more difficult because 1) it is a large time commitment, and 2) they may lose money or credits if something comes up and they are not able to attend one of the trainings. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 6 Wilder Research, August 2012

14 Professional development problems and barriers Two-thirds (66 percent) of licensed family child care providers report that finding convenient professional development opportunities is a problem. Half (46 percent) of licensed family child care providers report problems finding professional development opportunities in welcoming locations. Almost half (43 percent) of licensed family child care providers report that finding affordable professional development opportunities is a problem. Finding convenient and affordable professional development opportunities is at least somewhat of a problem for more than two-thirds (71 percent) of center-based programs, as reported by directors. Two-thirds (66 percent) of child care centers also report having problems finding qualified staff with degrees and training in early childhood education. The most common barriers to training and education, identified by both licensed family child care providers and center-based program staff are cost, scheduling, and transportation issues. Key findings comparing the 7-county metropolitan area and greater Minnesota Among all child care centers in the state, a greater proportion of those in the 7-county metro area are accredited than those in greater Minnesota (32 percent vs. 7 percent). Similarly, center-based programs in the 7-county metro area are more likely to be affiliated with a larger organization (such as a for-profit chain or school district), whereas those in greater Minnesota tend to be independent. Licensed family child care providers in greater Minnesota have slightly higher capacity (both licensed and desired) and enrollment, averaging about one additional space and child on average, than those in the 7-county metro area. They also care for about one more child, on average, at any given time than those in the 7-county metro area. Licensed family child care providers and centers in greater Minnesota are more likely to report caring for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program (43 percent vs. 23 percent for licensed family child care providers and 92 percent vs. 84 percent for centers) than those in the 7-county metro area, whereas preschools and school-age programs in the 7-county metro area are more likely than those in greater Minnesota to report caring for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program (45 percent vs. 33 percent for preschools; 92 percent vs. 85 percent for school-age programs). Licensed family child care providers in greater Minnesota are more likely than those in the 7-county metro area to be using a formal curriculum (58 percent vs. 44 Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 7 Wilder Research, August 2012

15 percent), and slightly more likely to use a learning approach (16 percent vs. 14 percent), and an instructional assessment (17 percent vs. 14 percent). Generally, centerbased programs in the 7-county metro area are more likely to use formal curricula and follow a specific learning approach than those in greater Minnesota. Center-based programs in the 7-county metro area generally offer more professional development benefits to full- and part-time employees, specifically financial assistance for off-site training or credit-based courses, mentoring, on-site and off-site in-service trainings, loans and differential pay. Center-based programs in greater Minnesota, however, are more likely to offer wage supplements. Licensed family child care providers in the 7-county metro area are more likely than those in greater Minnesota to have a total household income of $50,000 or above (73 percent vs. 56 percent). Licensed family child care providers in greater Minnesota are twice as likely as those in the 7-county metro area to have another paid job (17 percent vs. 8 percent). Average wages at center-based programs are higher in the 7- county metro area than in greater Minnesota, ranging from $1 - $4 more per hour depending on the position. Licensed family child care providers in the 7-county metro area tend to have more years of experience than those in greater Minnesota (64 percent have over 10 years of experience vs. 54 percent of licensed family child care providers), and center-based teachers in the 7-county metro area have higher levels of education than those in greater Minnesota (59 percent have a bachelor s degree or higher in a child-related field compared with 31 percent). Licensed family child care providers and center-based teachers in greater Minnesota are more likely to access training through a CCR&R agency than licensed family child care providers and center-based teachers in the 7-county metro area (88 percent vs. 67 percent for licensed family child care providers; 63 percent vs. 43 percent for teachers). Centers in greater Minnesota report having more difficulty than those in the 7-county metro in finding affordable professional development (82 percent vs. 58 percent); convenient professional development (84 percent vs. 65 percent), and quality professional development (77 percent vs. 47 percent). Similarly, center and preschool teachers in greater Minnesota report more difficulty than those in the 7-county metro in finding professional development opportunities (63 percent vs. 49 percent for center teachers; 61 percent vs. 35 percent for preschool teachers). Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 8 Wilder Research, August 2012

16 Key changes since 2006 For the most part, the results of the 2011 Child Care Workforce Study are similar to the results found in Some notable differences include: The number of licensed family child care homes and center-based programs has increased by 3 and 16 percent, respectively, while the number of family child care providers has decreased 4 percent and the number of center-based programs has increased 33 percent. The percentage of center teachers that work full-time has decreased from 83 percent in 2006 to 69 percent in Preschool programs have 15 fewer children enrolled, on average, and school-age care programs have 26 fewer children enrolled, on average, than they did in In 2011, programs are generally offering more professional development benefits to all types of employees than in Eighty-eight percent of preschools report doing at least some staff training in house, up from 77 percent in Education levels of center-based staff have slightly increased since 2006, with more teachers and directors having bachelor s degrees, though slightly fewer teachers have a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. Membership in professional groups has also increased. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 9 Wilder Research, August 2012

17 Recommendations Based on survey and focus group results and discussion with the study advisory committee, researchers offer the following recommendations. Continue supporting efforts to increase the diversity of the child care workforce. A higher proportion of assistant teachers and aides in center-based programs are non-white than teachers and directors, but the percentage of non-white assistant teachers and aides has increased only slightly since Encourage and support licensed family child care providers and center-based assistant teachers and aides from various cultural communities to attain more education, training and teaching responsibility, while at the same time supporting the development of culturally-specific center-based programs. Ensure quality and diversity of trainings offered. Child care practitioners seek professional development facilitated by trainers that are highly qualified in the content area, and offer new strategies and skills they can use with the children in their care. Trainers should have content expertise in the topic, be evaluated or credentialed as trainers, and have experience with children. Though the Minnesota Center for Professional Development currently has a system in place for approving trainers, not all providers are aware of, understand or use the system. Providers also requested a greater variety of training options to ensure that they are able to choose those that are relevant to their particular needs, and noted a high interest in topics related to child development, such as working with the specific needs of children, behavior management, and understanding normal child development. Improve access to professional development and training opportunities. Increase access to professional development opportunities by subsidizing the cost of trainings to be more affordable. Licensed family child care providers and center-based staff also need multiple ways to access training. Hold trainings on a regular basis in several regular sites in each region that do not require extensive travel. Offer a variety of dates and times for each training and support more online training options. Improve consistency of how training requirements are interpreted by licensors. County family child care licensors interpret and apply the state s training requirements differently, which is challenging for licensed family child care providers. Greater consistency among licensors and communication about which trainings and/or trainers are approved by the county toward licensing requirements would assist providers in accessing the trainings they need and want. Continue supporting efforts to enhance the knowledge and skills of the child care workforce, while educating parents on the importance of high quality child care. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 10 Wilder Research, August 2012

18 While Minnesota has a highly experienced child care workforce, the educational achievement levels are not as high. Obtaining an advanced degree is costly and timeconsuming and providers see little incentive to investing the time and money. Supporting Teacher Education And Compensation Helps (TEACH) scholarships will assist child care providers in paying for a college degree or credential in early childhood education or child development. Simultaneously, parents need additional education on the importance of degrees and credentials in early childhood so providers have an incentive to pursue further education. Improve awareness and usability of Professional Development Registry. With trainings being offered through colleges and universities, local CCR&R agencies, local associations and other community-based organizations, providers miss hearing about some opportunities. Provide a centralized source for providers to find out about trainings that is available via multiple formats (online, phone and handbook). The Professional Development Registry provides a centralized source for providers to find out about trainings, but few providers are aware of the Registry. Usability of the Registry could also be improved. Though users noted satisfaction with the Registry, in the focus groups, licensed family child care providers noted they did not use it because it was tedious or did not provide them with any benefit. The Minnesota Center for Professional Development could better inform providers of the benefits of the Registry and improve the Registry to ease entry of degrees, credentials, and trainings, with reminders of when required trainings are due. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 11 Wilder Research, August 2012

19 Introduction Study purposes The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through its Child Development Services unit, commissioned this study of the child care workforce in Minnesota to inform the development and assessment of policies and programs related to Minnesota's early childhood and school-age care system. Study findings are intended to be useful for the ongoing implementation of the child care professional development system that ensures professional development opportunities are inclusive of and accessible to all providers, including providers from underserved communities. Moreover, study findings are intended to be useful to community programs that provide support for child care programs and providers to better understand the populations they serve, better reach underserved communities and assess success in reaching all communities. The study information will also be used in training needs assessments and in efforts to provide targeted recruitment and retention strategies in local communities. The goals of this study are twofold: 1) to provide updated demographic information about the child care workforce, including its size, stability and the demographics of those working in the child care field, and 2) to provide an assessment of providers needs and motivations for participating in training and professional development opportunities. This study includes child care and education professionals who are involved in the dayto-day lives of children enrolled in child care and education programs, including: 1 Licensed family child care providers that are licensed by the state or tribal governments to provide care and education for children in their home. Child care centers that are licensed to care for groups of children, infant through school-age, in their own building, community centers, places of worship or other facilities. School-age child care programs that are licensed or legally unlicensed and care for children in kindergarten through sixth grade, typically before and after school, on school holidays and during the summer. Preschool programs that are licensed or legally unlicensed and usually offer two- or three-hour sessions per day, a few days per week, to children ages 3 through 5. 1 These definitions are used for this report and may not apply to other reports or documents. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 12 Wilder Research, August 2012

20 Study methods Surveys Questionnaire development Researchers developed four questionnaires, one for each of the following: 1) licensed family child care providers on their child care and themselves; 2) directors or main contact person at child care centers about their program; 3) directors or main contact person at preschools and school-age programs about their program; and 4) staff (directors, teachers, assistant teachers, and aides) at center-based programs about themselves. The questionnaires were built upon surveys developed by Wilder Research for the 2006 Child Care Workforce Study. Data collection process The Minnesota CCR&R Network provided Wilder Research a data file with all the current licensed family child care providers, child care centers, preschool sites and school-age care sites (excluding Head Start programs) in August Though School Readiness programs were not an intended target of this study, some School Readiness programs are included in the CCR&R Network database by local CCR&R agencies and were inadvertently included in the sample. The lists contained names, addresses and phone numbers, and were stratified by 7-county metro area and greater Minnesota and then randomized. From the randomized lists, researchers initially contacted the first 500 center-based programs and 576 licensed family homes and added 300 and 100 more, respectively, to reach the desired final number of completed surveys (300 center-based programs and 350 licensed family child care providers). The samples were in proportion to their numbers in the 7-county metro area and greater Minnesota for each type. The center-based program surveys (sent to directors or main contact persons) gathered information at the site level. In nine cases, the survey was sent to a director at a central site or an administrative site, and the director completed the survey on behalf of all their sites. In these cases, data were adjusted to reflect the sites that were sampled. The selected center-based programs and licensed family child care providers first received a letter that described the purpose of the study and the type of information that would be asked in the survey. The licensed family child care providers were then contacted by telephone to determine if they were eligible (currently in business) and to complete the questionnaire at a time convenient to their schedules. Using computer-assisted scheduling, researchers called each randomly selected provider up to 25 times at different times of the day and on different days of the week, including Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. Interviews were conducted in English. For licensed family child care Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 13 Wilder Research, August 2012

21 providers with an address, a Word-fillable document was sent to those who failed to respond to phone calls; 19 licensed family child care providers completed the survey using this method. The survey of licensed family child care providers ran from September through December The center-based program survey had two parts. First, directors were mailed one programlevel questionnaire, 10 staff surveys to distribute to their staff, and business reply envelopes. They were asked to make additional copies or contact Wilder if more than 10 staff people worked at that site. Researchers then phoned program directors to follow-up with those who did not return surveys and worked with them to collect individual questionnaires from each staff member at their site. Program directors were called and ed multiple times to coax them to complete the surveys. The center-based program and staff surveys ran from November 2011 through May As an incentive to participate, programs were entered into a drawing for a $250 VISA gift card, and individual staff and licensed family child care providers were entered into a drawing for one of ten $100 VISA gift cards. Strengths and limitations of the survey data Figure 1 shows information about the study samples, including sample numbers, response rates, and sampling error, which ranges from five to nine percent. Random sampling eliminates bias by giving each licensed child care provider and center-based program an equal possibility of being selected and responding. To ensure the sample represents the geographic regions, researchers stratified the lists by 7-county metro area and greater Minnesota before randomizing. Randomization gives strength to the study results. Among the four types of child care surveyed, data best represent licensed family child care providers, given the higher response rate and lower margin of error. Data fairly well represent center-based programs, but should be interpreted with caution because of the lower response rate (less than 40 percent) among centers and school-age programs. To test the representativeness of the licensed family child care sample, researchers compared respondents, non-respondents, and non-sampled licensed family child care providers on two variables from the Minnesota CCR&R Network database: whether they report caring for children served by Minnesota s Child Care Assistance Program, and location (7-county metro area or greater Minnesota). The three groups are statistically similar with regard to the proportion who report caring for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 14 Wilder Research, August 2012

22 The respondents over-represent licensed family child care providers in the 7- county metro area (46 percent were from the 7-county metro, compared with 36 percent for non-respondents and 39 percent for the non-sampled licensed family child care providers). Figure 2 shows the number of center-based programs that distributed and returned questionnaires from individual staff and the number of questionnaires returned for each type of staff. A fairly high percentage of center-based programs that completed a programlevel survey also returned staff surveys (75 percent of centers, 72 percent of preschools and 70 percent of school-age care programs). Staff from an additional 35 centers, 21 preschools and 8 school-age programs completed staff surveys even though their directors did not complete a program-level survey. The results should be interpreted with caution because the responding center-based programs represent smaller proportions of the initial samples of center-based programs. It is possible that respondents represent more stable and wellfunctioning center-based programs since being overwhelmed with their workload was a common reason directors and staff did not complete surveys. Several other child care surveys were also in the field during parts of the data collection time period. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 15 Wilder Research, August 2012

23 1. Study samples Licensed family child care providers and programs Number (adjusted) 1 Percent 7-county metro area Number sampled and eligible Number and percent responding 2 Percent 7-county metro area Margin of error (plus or minus) Licensed family child care homes 10,778 39% (52%) 45% 5% Child care centers % (37%) 65% 8% Preschools % (44%) 59% 9% School-age programs % (36%) 65% 9% 1 Adjusted from original numbers provided by Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral on August 3, 2011, based on percent screened as eligible in sample. 2 This includes all sites that responded, including directors that completed one form on behalf of multiple sites. 2. Staff surveys received Programs with a corresponding program-level survey Programs represented Directors Assistant Child care centers 100 (75%) Preschools 67 (72%) School-age care 62 (70%) Total Child care centers Preschools School-age care Aides Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 16 Wilder Research, August 2012

24 Data from the Minnesota CCR&R Network Additional data elements were provided by the Minnesota CCR&R Network database (also known as NACCRRAware), including: Desired and licensed capacity, and enrollment by age group Accreditation Currently caring for or willing to care for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program (child care centers, preschools and licensed family child care providers) Use of curricula, learning approach and instructional assessments (child care centers and licensed family child care providers) Use of United States Department of Education s Child and Adult Care Food Program (child care centers and licensed family child care providers) Type of license (licensed family child care providers) Demographics of licensed family child care providers (years of experience working in licensed child care programs, level of education, race/ethnicity, gender) The CCR&R Network provided these data on all licensed family child care providers, child care centers, preschools, and school-age care programs in their database on August 3, The CCR&R Network updates these data at least annually by surveying licensed family child care providers and center-based programs at the beginning of each calendar year. Thus, these data are from early 2011 and limited to what was available in the CCR&R Network database. Accreditation status is independently verified with the accrediting bodies to ensure accuracy. Focus groups Researchers conducted six focus groups in April 2012 with licensed family child care providers with less formal education, a group identified by the advisory group to be of particular interest. The 56 participants, including one man and six women of color, were asked about their training experiences, barriers to training, and professional development needs. The focus groups were held in Bloomington, Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, and St. Paul. When recruiting for each of the focus groups, researchers selected licensed family child care providers from each location (by zip code) who did not have post-secondary education or a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, based on data from the Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Network. This is different than in 2006 when focus groups were Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 17 Wilder Research, August 2012

25 done with culturally diverse licensed child care providers and staff at center-based programs. The lists were randomized and the licensed family child care providers were invited by phone to attend the group, except in St. Cloud and Duluth where they were invited by letter, as the hosting organizations managed the RSVP calls. Focus group participants received a $25 Target gift card for attending a 90-minute group. Snacks were provided. Focus groups were conducted in English. Researchers recorded each focus group conversation. The content of the conversations was analyzed and researchers looked for common themes across the six groups. Results of the focus groups are not representative of all child care providers, but provide a more detailed perspective on the opinions of some licensed family child care providers without postsecondary education. Report structure This report presents results for licensed family child care providers as a whole; three types of center-based programs (child care centers, preschools and school-age care programs), and four types of staff within each type of center-based program (directors, teachers, assistant teachers and aides). Column totals in each data table may not total 100 percent due to rounding or, as noted, when multiple responses are allowed. The text primarily focuses on licensed family child care providers and teachers in center-based programs. Findings from the focus groups are incorporated throughout this report. Researchers conducted statistical tests to see if results differed by location (7-county metropolitan area versus greater Minnesota), and whether or not the program or provider reports caring for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program. 2 The statistically significant differences (p<.05) are indented in this format at the end of each topical section. Researchers also analyzed results to assess changes in the child care workforce from the studies conducted by Wilder Research in 1999 and Data are from the surveys conducted for this study unless otherwise noted. 2 Statistical analysis of differences between center-based programs that care for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program and programs that do not care for children served by the Child Care Assistance Program was limited to centers and preschool since such a large percentage of school-age programs serve children on Child Care Assistance Program. Due to small sample sizes of center-based staff in different positions, statistical analysis was only done for teachers by region. Child Care Workforce in Minnesota 18 Wilder Research, August 2012